Touchpoints, Conversion Funnels and the Complex Sale

Any good salesperson understands there's a fine line between building awareness and becoming an annoyance. And every prospect will vary in how quickly they become annoyed. Once that happens, your chances of making a sale virtually die. But in the complex sale you have to tread lightly, yet be ever present. You have to be top of mind when a prospect is ready to make a decision. So, how can you avoid becoming the annoyoing woodpecker yet be the trusted advisor? You can accomplish this by varying your touchpoints and moving your prospects through the conversion funnel at a pace that works for them.

Touchpoints

A touchpoint is somewhat self explanatory - a point in time when you somehow touch a prospect. It's a call out of "Hey, I'm still here and I can help." It's a subtle reminder that when the prospect is ready and needs what you have to offer you're ready for action. It's a phone call, a face-to-face meeting, an email, a tweet, a hand written note, a direct mail piece. It's a simple call-to-action that the prospect pays attention for just a few seconds and logs one more interaction with you in their collective memory.

You should already have some system of touchpoints in place and if you don't, you're reading the wrong post. Start here and then come back. If you do, good for you. Let's talk about integrating touchpoints into the conversion funnel.

The conversion funnel

There are many types of conversions - downloading a whitepaper, signing up for a newsletter, filling out a survey, or buying a product. These are types of conversions that push the prospect closer to becoming a paying customer. Each conversion is the culmination and result of all prior touchpoints.

When devising your touchpoint strategy, keep in mind that each phase should be easily achieved. If the prospect has to work too hard they'll abandon the effort and potentially brand you as an annoying woodpecker. Instead, make each step a piece of cake requiring little effort.